Covestro’s Bio-based Raw Materials for Rigid PU Foam Reduce CO2 Emissions

In industrial and commercial construction, in public facilities and logistics buildings, energy efficiency, sustainability and compliance with climate protection targets will become increasingly important alongside cost-effectiveness. These and other challenges are the topic of this year's industrieBAU (Industrial Construction) Day on trends and future topics in industrial construction, which the industrieBAU magazine is organizing on September 27 at the Kasino Hotel in Chempark Leverkusen.

Reducing Energy Consumption and CO₂ Emissions

Rigid polyurethane (PU) foam is a very high-performance insulating material and is ideal for reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in buildings as well as conserving fossil resources. In German industrial and commercial buildings made of sandwich panels, the insulating material now has a market share of around 80 percent. Covestro is supporting the event with a lecture and as a platinum sponsor and is inviting the participants to visit its technical center for polyurethane building products.
Sustainable insulating material for industrial and commercial buildings Sandwich panels consist of two metallic cover layers and a core of PU or even more fire-resistant polyisocyanurate (PIR) hard foam. "They have been used for many years for large-area and efficient thermal insulation of industrial and commercial buildings and facilitate fast, modular and cost-effective construction of buildings," says Stefanie Rau, marketing manager for the construction industry in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Rigid PU foam is also used in insulation boards. They have flexible covering layers and are used to insulate pitched and flat roofs and floors as well as internal and external walls. "In flat roof applications, they are gaining increasing market share, which is due to their high compressive strength, water resistance and the associated low maintenance costs," explains Stefanie Rau. Both products are manufactured in a continuous process on double-belt lines.

Covestro – A Pioneer in Alternative Raw Materials

For even more sustainable thermal insulation of buildings, Covestro now additionally uses alternative raw materials for its production, also to reduce its own dependence on fossil resources. The company is currently working intensively on a CO₂-based raw material for rigid PU foam.

In addition, Covestro and its partners have developed a unique method for obtaining the key chemical product aniline from biobased raw materials. MDI could in future be produced from this bioaniline – another important raw material for rigid PU foam.

Modern Technical Center

A few years ago, Covestro set up a modern technical center for the industrial production of polyurethane foams in order to better support it in aligning its production to current market requirements. Among other things, the plant includes continuously operating systems for the production of insulation boards and sandwich panel elements, which are used for large-area insulation solutions in industrial construction. The goal is to further improve the insulating effect and fire resistance of these products in line with customer requirements and market trends.

Digitalization for Greater Efficiency

Digitalization opens up many opportunities for the construction industry and the associated value chain to increase productivity, make processes more efficient and support sustainability. Covestro pursues a comprehensive strategic program based on three dimensions – digital business processes, digital customer experience and new digital business models.
The implementation of the program begins for Covestro with more efficient operation of its own production and ranges from a comprehensive digital approach of business customers to the development of an innovative chemical trading platform, which is currently being tested. With the new business models, "digital technical services" are particularly important to make customer production even more efficient.
Source: Covestro

 

Researchers Identify Latex Proteins to Enhance Natural Rubber Production

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that the results of joint research projects conducted since 2013 with two universities in Thailand, a major producer of natural rubber, were recently presented at The International Polymer Conference of Thailand 2018 (PCT-8). 

The joint research projects were conducted with researchers at Mahidol University and Prince of Songkla University. The research with Mahidol University succeeded in analyzing proteins contained in sap (latex), the base raw material for natural rubber, and identifying the proteins deeply involved in natural rubber biosynthesis. The research deepens the understanding of the biosynthesis of natural rubber, making it possible to accelerate research related to quality and production.

Evaluating Physical and Chemical Properties of Rubber

The research conducted at Mahidol University entailed the extraction and nano-level analysis of proteins from fresh latex and seedlings from Para rubber trees. The analysis covered more than 800 kinds of proteins contained in latex, some of which were found to be related to natural rubber biosynthesis and stress resistance. In addition, by comparing proteins from different varieties of Para rubber trees, the researchers were able to identify the proteins that promote biosynthesis and the proteins that inhibit biosynthesis. The proteins are expected to be used as biomarkers of biosynthesis.
The research at Prince of Songkla University was fundamental research on natural rubber that focused on analyzing the differences in latex related to different seasons and regions, different varieties and different processing methods. The research also evaluated the presence or absence of changes in the physical and chemical properties of rubber over long periods of time. To date, natural rubber has been a very stable material, from its composition to its physical properties, and it has been highly resistant to external factors. 

Enhancing Maintenance and Development of Natural Rubber Plantations:

Natural rubber is a raw material made from latex taken from Para rubber trees. It is one of the main raw materials used in automotive tires, accounting for about 30% of tires made. However, natural rubber’s production is concentrated in Southeast Asia, which exposes large-scale production to risks from abnormal weather and disease. Expecting tire demand to expand in the future, Yokohama Rubber regards the improvement of the quality of natural rubber and the promotion of technological development contributing to stable production as an important corporate duty. Accordingly, the Company plans to use the results of this research to promote the maintenance and development of natural rubber plantations.

The Yokohama Rubber Group has positioned “Promotion of CSR activities throughout the value chain” as one of the important issues of the Group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Accordingly, in addition to the above joint research projects on natural rubber, the Group is engaged in activities that will contribute to sustaining farmlands. These activities have included biodiversity surveys on natural rubber plantations and promoting widespread use of an “agroforestry farming method” that contributes to more stable income for rubber tree growers by planting bamboo, fruit trees and other plants in natural rubber forests.

Source: Yokohama Rubber Co

 

Indorama Ventures and Loop Industries launch a JV to manufacture and commercialize sustainable Polyester Resin

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, one of the world’s leading petrochemical companies, and Loop Industries, Inc., a leading technology innovator in sustainable plastic resin and polyester has launched a 50/50 joint venture company to manufacture and commercialize sustainable polyester resin to meet the growing global demand from beverage and consumer packaged goods companies.
The world-class manufacturing footprint of Indorama and proprietary science and technology of Loop will form a world leader in the ‘circular’ economy for 100% sustainable and recycled PET resin and polyester fiber. The JV will use an exclusive worldwide license for Loop’s technology to produce 100% sustainably produced PET resin and polyester fiber.

Aloke Lohia, Group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said, “At Indorama Ventures, we continue to pursue the right opportunities to fill gaps that are intrinsic to our sustainable and profitable business by deploying resources in order to support the circular economy. This joint venture with Loop Industries emphasizes our belief in recycling and is aimed at investing in new technologies that can steer further our aspiration of being a world-class chemical company making great products for society.”

Daniel Solomita, Founder and CEO of Loop Industries, commented, “We are excited to launch this partnership with Indorama Ventures, who provide a global leadership platform in petrochemical manufacturing and a shared commitment to sustainability. This joint venture combines each of our companies’ area of expertise so that we may both play a leading role in the global shift by business and consumers to the circular economy. This is a first strategic step in our global commercialization plan and mission to accelerate the world’s shift toward sustainable plastic and away from the traditional, take, make and dispose economy.”

OCSiAl’s Graphene Nanotubes Replace Ammonium Salts & Carbon Black in PU System

Graphene nanotubes have demonstrated their ability to impart permanent and homogeneous anti-static properties to polyurethane (PU) materials, overcoming previous difficulties with nanotube dispersion in PU systems. The recently developed nanotube-based concentrate TUBALL MATRIX 202 has already built up a solid track record in applications such as industrial rollers and castors, PU shoes, printing rollers and cleaning pigs. 

TUBALL MATRIX 202 - Concentrate of High-quality TUBALL™ SW CNTs

OCSiAl’s TUBALL graphene nanotubes are rapidly gaining ground in customer-oriented applications with high-performance requirements. One remarkable example is PU discs in cleaning pigs for industrial pipelines. To avoid explosions and fires while also preventing static noise and improving diagnostic accuracy, manufacturers of cleaning pigs are replacing ammonium salts as an anti-static agent with TUBALL MATRIX 202. In addition to a permanent and stable resistivity level of 10^7–10^5 Ω·cm, the preliminary results have shown a 30% reduction in the rate of equipment failure. 

Applications of TUBALL MATRIX 202

• Another specific application of TUBALL MATRIX 202 is anti-static shoes, where the PU elastomer material used in the outsole and midsole allows the shoes to be used in various static-sensitive facilities in the chemistry, oil and gas, electronics and mining industries. 
• These nanotubes have also been well received by industrial roller manufacturers, as PU printing rollers can now be produced with a permanent volume resistivity level of 10^8–10^6 Ω·cm without dust formation at the facility and while preserving the essential mechanical performance characteristics such as abrasion resistance and hardness. 
• TUBALL MATRIX 202 is also gaining ground in rollers and castors used in the mining industry, where anti-static properties are critical for safety reasons. 

According to data supplied by one of OCSiAl’s customers, graphene nanotubes preserve or even improve mechanical properties of the system, whereas previously the 6.5 wt.% of carbon black that had been used for anti-static purposes led to a nearly two-fold reduction in tear strength. 

The TUBALL MATRIX 202 concentrate carrier is a plasticizer based on fatty carboxylic acid ester derivatives. 

To obtain a resistivity level of 10^9–10^5 Ω·cm, the working dosage range of graphene nanotubes is 100 times less than the working dosage of ammonium salts, 500 times less than that of carbon black, and 1000 times less than that of conductive mica.

In comparison with ammonium salts, graphene nanotubes enable a wider range of resistivity levels that are totally independent of humidity and temperature conditions, and these nanotubes’ superiority over carbon black is rooted in their easy dispersion and the preserved mechanical properties of the system. 

Source: OCSiAl